Home › Reviews › Grilling Accessories
The 2026 Gear ListThe right $15 thermometer will save more cooks than a $1,000 grill. We tested 60+ accessories over the last 18 months in our own backyards — these 18 made the cut. Tier-ranked by what you actually need first.
Alpha Grillers Instant-Read Thermometer
The single highest-impact $13 you can spend on your grilling — 2-second reads, ±0.9°F accuracy, 87,000+ reviews.
By the Smoke & Sear Editorial Team · 9 min read
The single most important accessory you own. If you only buy one thing from this list, buy a thermometer. Built-in lid thermometers are off by 25-50°F.
The #1 best-selling grill thermometer on Amazon for a reason — 2-second reads, ±0.9°F accuracy, and 87,000+ reviews averaging 4.8 stars. For under $15 it does what $80 thermometers do. The one we hand to anyone starting out.
Check Price on AmazonA noticeable step up from the Alpha — rotating backlit display readable in any light, magnetic back, and the build feels twice the price. Our pick if you cook 2+ times a week.
Check Price on AmazonThe pro standard. Sub-second reads, ±0.5°F accuracy, lifetime build. If you cook for a living or just refuse to compromise, this is it. We have one in the drawer that's seven years old and still perfect.
Check Price at ThermoWorksTruly wireless probe — no wires running out of the lid. Stick it in the brisket, close the smoker, watch the temp on your phone from the couch. Range is honest 165 ft. A game-changer for long cooks.
Check Price on AmazonThe budget wireless alternative to MEATER. 500-ft Bluetooth range, slimmer profile, and roughly half the price. Less polished app but the readings are dead-accurate.
Check Price on AmazonSurface temp checker — for verifying grill grate temp before you put steaks down, or pizza stone temp, or pan temp on a flat-top. Not for meat, but indispensable for sear cooks.
Check Price on AmazonLong handles, stiff metal, no plastic flex. Cheap tools snap mid-flip and dump dinner in the grass. These don't.
Heavy-duty stainless tongs, spatula, fork, brush, skewers, and corn holders — in a hard carrying case. Overkill for some, but you'll never need to buy another grill tool. Often drops to $25.
Check Price on AmazonIf you buy one tool only, make it these. Spring-loaded, lock open for storage, soft grip, and the 16-inch length keeps your knuckles off the fire. We've owned ours 8 years.
Check Price on AmazonFor smashburger fanatics. 6-inch heavy cast iron — gives you that lacy crispy edge you cannot get from pressing with a spatula. Pre-seasoned, lasts a lifetime.
Check Price on AmazonYou will burn yourself without these. It's not a question of if, it's when. $15 of insurance.
932°F rated, EN407 certified, full-finger dexterity. The pair we reach for when pulling brisket, moving lit coals, or handling cast iron straight off the grill. 38,000+ reviews at 4.7 stars.
Check Price on AmazonFeatured by Food & Wine in 2026. Silicone-textured palms for grip, machine washable, and they actually cost less than the Grill Armor. Less dexterous but the better choice for most backyard cooks.
Check Price on AmazonFood-safe black nitrile insulated gloves — for shredding pulled pork or brisket the second it comes off the smoker without scalding your hands. The pitmaster cheat code.
Check Price on AmazonA clean grate sears better, sticks less, and lasts longer. Skip the wire-bristle brushes — they shed and end up in food.
Three sides scrub the rounds in one pass. Stainless bristles, replaceable head, 21" handle keeps your hand off the heat. The brush we replaced our old wire one with after the bristle scare.
Check Price on AmazonStainless steel coils, zero bristles. Nothing can shed into your food. Strong enough for cast iron grates, gentle enough for porcelain. The safest pick for families.
Check Price on AmazonCitrus-based spray, food-safe, cuts baked-on grease without chemicals. Spray, wait 60 seconds, scrub. Especially good for cast iron grates that hate harsh degreasers.
Check Price on AmazonFor brisket, ribs, pork shoulder, and anything you want pulling apart. These are the unsexy items that separate average cooks from great ones.
1,000 ft of FDA-approved unwaxed pink paper. The Aaron Franklin wrap — locks in moisture without softening bark the way foil does. One roll lasts a year of weekend cooks.
Check Price on AmazonLights a full load of charcoal in 15 minutes, no lighter fluid. Better-tasting food and the only way to start lump charcoal properly. If you grill with charcoal and don't have one of these, you're doing it wrong.
Check Price on AmazonHickory, mesquite, apple, cherry, pecan — kiln-dried chunks for low-and-slow. Chunks burn cleaner and longer than chips. Mix & match for different meats.
Check Price on AmazonThe quality-of-life upgrades. Not strictly necessary, but the ones you'll wonder how you ever cooked without.
Non-stick PTFE mats — grill veggies, fish, shrimp, even eggs without losing them through the grates. Reusable hundreds of times, dishwasher safe. The accessory we recommend most to charcoal owners.
Check Price on Amazon600D waterproof polyester, UV-resistant. Sizes for every major grill. The difference between a grill that lasts 4 years and one that lasts 12.
Check Price on AmazonStainless rolling basket for vegetables, shrimp, and wings — roll it across the grates to toss without losing pieces. Especially good for kabob-style cooks on a busy grill.
Check Price on Amazon1) A real thermometer (Alpha Grillers or Thermapen). 2) Heat-resistant gloves. 3) A chimney starter (if charcoal) or butcher paper (if smoking). In that order. Built-in lid thermometers will ruin more cooks than anything else on this list.
Wire bristles shed over time and end up embedded in your food — there have been documented ER cases. Every cleaning brush we recommend is either three-sided stainless or completely bristle-free.
Honest answer: no, but it's close. The Alpha Grillers ($13) reads in 2 seconds with ±0.9°F accuracy. The Thermapen ONE ($109) reads in under 1 second with ±0.5°F accuracy. For 90% of backyard cooks, the difference doesn't matter. For competition cooks or daily users, the Thermapen earns its price over a decade of use.
Only if you do long cooks (4+ hours). For burgers, steaks, and chicken, an instant-read is faster and easier. For brisket, pork shoulder, and overnight cooks, MEATER Plus or ThermoPro TempSpike let you watch from the couch instead of getting up every 30 minutes.
Sometimes — Home Depot and Lowe's occasionally undercut Amazon on grill brushes and chimney starters. Walmart usually beats Amazon on the cheap end ($10–15 thermometers). But for accessories above $30, Amazon's return policy is the safety net you want.
The accessories above work on any grill — but if you're still picking your cooker, start with our charcoal vs pellet vs gas comparison, then dive into the roundups below.